KINGSTON, N.Y. -- The city on Monday removed a dump truck it had parked on tracks used by the Catskill Mountain Railroad.

The truck was placed on the tracks near Washington Avenue in Kingston late Friday after the city obtained a court order barring the railroad from moving dilapidated train cars from the town of Ulster to the city for repairs.

Railroad board Chairman Harry Jameson said on Saturday that putting the truck on the tracks was unnecessary, because the railroad had no intention of violating the court order, and a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman said on Monday said that the city's action may have violated a New York law that makes it a felony to block a rail line.

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Kingston Mayor Shayne Gallo said the truck was removed because "we felt confident, after contact with county officials, our corporation counsel and the railroad group that they were not going to violate (state Supreme Court) Judge (Christopher) Cahill's order."

Jameson said railroad officials were "awestruck" that the city blocked the tracks.

Carol Breen, the Department of Transportation spokeswoman, said that even though city's action may have violated the law, her department will not get involved because the incident didn't occur on state property.

"It's not something we have authority over," she said.

The tracks are owned by Ulster County and leased to the Catskill Mountain Railroad.

Kingston Corporation Counsel Andrew Zweben said he doesn't believe the state railroad law applies to the tracks used by the Catskill Mountain Railroad because it operates only a tourist train and only sporadically during the year. The law, he said, forbids blocking a railroad line with the intent to interrupt train service.

"The intent of the action was to protect the health and safety of the residents and visitors of the city of Kingston," Zweben said.

Zweben said bringing the dilapidated rail cars into Kingston could have resulted in asbestos and lead paint chips being strewn throughout the city.

Jameson, though, said the city's real intent is to "shut down the Catskill Mountain Railroad" to make way for a recreation trail that Ulster County Executive Michael Hein wants to see developed where the tracks now exist.

"This is what the (railroad) has been up against for years -- now everyone can see it," Jameson wrote in a press release on Monday. He said the railroad is being targeted because it doesn't contribute to political campaigns.

"Rather than having a truly open and reasonable discussion on rail vs. trail, they instead decide to stifle the debate by putting (the railroad) out of business," he stated.

Hein's plan calls for the Catskill Mountain Railroad to continue operating its Esopus Scenic Tour, which runs between Mount Tremper and Phoenicia, but the tracks in Kingston would be torn up to make room for the trail.